Scottish Executive

Digital Technology

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits will accrue to the Greenock and Inverclyde economy from the fulfilling of its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to extend broadband connectivity to every area of Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: The benefits of broadband to businesses are well catalogued. These benefits, which include reduced business costs and improved access to markets, can significantly boost the economy of the areas in which these businesses are located. Broadband also offers more opportunities for the current and future labour force of the area to develop their skills and knowledge. The Scottish Enterprise broadband website contains a list of case studies describing how broadband has benefited a wide range of organisations throughout Scotland.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that gifted children have the opportunity to fulfil their talents, with appropriate access to national initiatives giving support in drama, music, sport or academic pursuits, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive currently provides £4.2 million annually to local authorities for nine Centres of Excellence in Highland, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Fife, and East Dunbartonshire. These centres offer specialist provision in music, traditional Scottish music, dance, sport or modern languages.

  In addition, the Executive has set up a £5 million trust fund, known as the Dewar Arts Awards, to support exceptionally talented young people across the arts in Scotland who have limited financial resources. The awards aim to foster excellence in the arts and offer talented youngsters from less privileged backgrounds an opportunity to develop their talent to the highest level.

  Under the Lottery Sports Fund, sportscotland operate a Junior Groups Programme, designed to develop Scotland’s emerging talent to ensure international success in sport when the current crop of elite athletes have retired. It provides support to groups of talented young people participating in a co-ordinated programme of coaching and competitive events.

Education

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will operate pilot projects in Greenock and Inverclyde of any new initiatives as a result of its report Determined to Succeed: A Review of Enterprise in Education , as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will achieve its goal of encouraging local authorities to give school pupils the opportunity to experience enterprise initiatives at first hand in Inverclyde, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive’s response to Determined to Succeed: A Review of Enterprise in Education (DtS) sets out our strategy for expanding the provision of Enterprise in Education (E in E). It puts local authorities (LAs) at the heart of delivery and, consequently, as the recipients of the majority of the £42 million funding we have committed over the Spending Review 2002 period. The Executive will work with each LA to develop an E in E plan detailing how DtS will be delivered locally, and we have recruited specialist staff - with experience of education and business - to help in this process.

  The timing of LA E in E plans is the subject of a series of discussions my officials are undertaking with LA Directors of Education; they will have met all directors in the next few weeks. Additionally, against the background of our wish to encourage creativity in delivery, we have set aside a limited fund to support LAs wishing to develop innovative projects. LAs will also have access to a dedicated website outlining the products and services currently available to support enterprising and entrepreneurial activities. Our strategy does not envisage pilot projects, save for those LAs wish to propose for funding under the innovation fund.

Enterprise

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how companies in Greenock and Inverclyde will be able to work with it to increase their investment in research and development, in line with its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: Within Scotland, we have a wide variety of publicly funded initiatives designed to help companies increase their investment in research and development. Each of these initiatives acts together, our intention is to provide a coherent pipeline of public sector support at every stage along the path from taking ideas from the university laboratory to full-scale production.

  By way of illustration, we have committed more than £80 million of additional funding since 1999 through a variety of initiatives to support commercialisation of research with several specific and unique measures such as the Proof of Concept Fund and Scottish Higher Education Funding Council’s (SHEFC) Knowledge Transfer Grants to universities to promote commercialisation. There are plans to at least double this to £12 million following additional resources provided by the Executive to SHEFC in SR2002. Various improvements have been made to the SMART and SPUR research and development support schemes launched on 1 April, including increased grant levels and reduced bureaucracy. The number of SMART and SPUR awards continues to increase year on year. We have made changes to our Regional Selective Assistance grant scheme to focus efforts across all sectors on higher value areas such as research and development. Business Gateway was launched on 14 July 2003, this will bring improved consistency and quality of support for all businesses across the Scottish Enterprise area. The £450 million investment in Intermediary Technology Institutes over 10 years will make a further significant impact in this field.

  Companies in Greenock and Inverclyde have access to and are encouraged to make the most of this support.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend independent prescribing rights under section 63 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 to health care professionals separately from any similar extension that may be introduced in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Malcolm Chisholm: Section 63 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 amended the Medicines Act 1968 and enables ministers to introduce new types of prescriber. To enable new types of prescriber to prescribe prescription only medicines would require amendment of the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997. Both the act and the order apply across the UK.

  Extending responsibilities to new groups of health care professionals is a matter which is under active consideration by the UK Health Departments.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which areas of health care policy are not addressed in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership Agreement sets out a range of initiatives, consistent with the White Paper Partnership for Care , which addressed the twin challenges of improving health standards and redesigning health services.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for reducing the risk factors associated with strokes and, in particular, in respect of atrial fibrillation, raised cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Malcolm Chisholm: Improving Health in Scotland – The Challenge , published in May 2003, does not set targets for the reduction of specific risk factors such as atrial fibrillation, cholesterol levels or high blood pressure, but provides a strategic framework for action to promote a healthier lifestyle and behaviours that will reduce the risk of conditions such as stroke. The Challenge re-iterates the target, first set out in Towards a Healthier Scotland (1999), for reducing by 50%, between 1995 and 2010, deaths from cerebrovascular disease in people under 75.

  The stroke Managed Clinical Networks which are being developed in each NHS board area as a key part of our Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy have as one of their main aims the development of stroke prevention strategies.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are receiving (a) warfarin and (b) aspirin on prescription and how many of these patients have atrial fibrillation.

Malcolm Chisholm: The prescription data available centrally is not patient-specific but relate to the number of prescribed items. It is therefore not possible to say how many of these prescriptions relate to those who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

  The data presented in the following table shows the number of prescriptions dispensed in the community, broken down by NHS board, for the financial year ending 31 March 2003.

  


NHS Board 
  

Warfarin 
  

Aspirin 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

 48,870 
  

 244,066 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

 36,217 
  

 189,506 
  



Borders 
  

 14,363 
  

 58,638 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

 20,746 
  

 95,338 
  



Fife 
  

 30,910 
  

 187,533 
  



Forth Valley 
  

 30,491 
  

 146,206 
  



Grampian 
  

 52,119 
  

 202,828 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

 85,280 
  

 473,380 
  



Highland 
  

 20,125 
  

 94,365 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

 55,595 
  

 318,237 
  



Lothian 
  

 61,043 
  

 290,581 
  



Orkney 
  

 1,759 
  

 8,149 
  



Shetland 
  

 2,505 
  

 9,963 
  



Tayside 
  

 43,841 
  

 185,008 
  



Western Isles 
  

 3,947 
  

 19,252 
  



Scotland 
  

 507,811 
  

 2,523,050

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided to each NHS board for the treatment of patients who were residents of another NHS board area in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: No separate funding is provided to NHS boards to pay for the treatment of patients who were residents of another NHS board area. Financial transfers normally take place between NHS boards to reflect the cost of such treatment. Information is not held centrally about the amounts transferred in this way.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the target date is for the introduction of the improved Individual Learning Account scheme and Business Learning Accounts, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: The introduction of the successor to the Individual Learning Account scheme is targeted for mid-2004 with BLA pilots due to be introduced from autumn 2003.

Lifelong Learning

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current membership of the Lifelong Learning Forum is and how often it has met.

Lewis Macdonald: I expect the first meeting of the Lifelong Learning Forum to take place later this year. The forum will provide the opportunity to bring together the key stakeholders in lifelong learning to discuss areas of mutual interest. I will announce the membership of the forum later this year.

Lifelong Learning

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the proposed Lifelong Learning Forum will be established and what information is available on its role and structure, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Lewis Macdonald: I expect the first meeting of the Lifelong Learning Forum to take place later this year. The forum will provide the opportunity to bring together the key stakeholders in lifelong learning to discuss areas of mutual interest. I will announce information on the role and structure of the forum later this year.

Maternity Services

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on the options submitted by NHS boards proposing the closure of consultant-led maternity units.

Malcolm Chisholm: As with any proposals for significant service change or closure approved by NHS boards, I would only make a decision on whether to endorse the preferred option or not following careful consideration of the relevant local review.

  In the case of maternity service proposals, I would have to be satisfied that the preferred option is consistent with A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland (February 2001) and the recommendations of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (December 2002). These policy documents set out clear action points and recommendations intended to ensure that NHS Scotland provides modern, safe and sustainable maternity services that are appropriate to the needs of women and families in Scotland.

  That said, I hope to make a decision on this within the next few weeks.

NHS Hospitals

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines exist to ensure that items of food and drink identified by dieticians as being unhealthy for patients who have undergone particular clinical procedures, or have certain medical conditions, are not accessible to such patients in NHS hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no specific guidelines; this is a matter of good clinical care. However, in May 2002, a "best practice statement on nutrition – assessment and referral in the care of adults in hospital" was issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit. The best practice statement covers the following areas which includes reasons for the statement and how to demonstrate these are being achieved.

  Admission to hospital

  Nursing management of nutritional care

  Nutritional screening and documentation

  Criteria for nutritional referrals

  Education and Training

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has consulted on a Standard for Food Fluid and Nutritional Care in hospitals to help ensure that patients needs are met.

  Specific guidance on items of food and drink would be a matter primarily for local NHS systems who will consider the needs of people with special dietary requirements taking account of the individual needs of each patient.

NHS Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33751 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2003, what plans it has to review the status of Yorkhill Hospital NHS Trust following the proposed abolition of NHS trusts.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the status of Yorkhill Hospital.

NHS Staff

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that all NHS trusts and boards are complying with the Accounts Commission’s guidance on the use of bank and agency nursing staff.

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS employers were made aware of the recommendations made in the Account Commission’s (now Audit Scotland) report Temporary Measures (2000) and were asked by the Scottish Executive to review their procedures to ensure they complied with its recommendations.

  The use of bank and agency nurses is monitored locally and as part of the Staff Governance Standard Self Assessment Audit, that looks for a systematic approach in the use of staff.

NHS Staff

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS trusts and boards have confirmed that they are complying with the Accounts Commission’s guidance on the expenditure on, and management of, agency nurses.

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS employers were made aware of the recommendations made in the Account Commission’s (now Audit Scotland) report Temporary Measures (2000) and were asked by the Scottish Executive to review their procedures to ensure they complied with its recommendations.

  All NHS employers continue to review their staffing arrangements in line with the recommendations offered in both of these reports.

NHS Waiting Lists

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how any reduction in NHS waiting lists in Scotland compares to any reduction in NHS waiting lists in England and Wales.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on NHS waiting lists is compiled and recorded on different bases in England and Wales and in Scotland, and the two sets of information are therefore not comparable.

  Waiting list figures for Scotland are published on a quarterly basis on the Information and Statistics Division website, at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info2.jsp?pContentID=1170&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&

  Waiting list figures for England are published on a monthly basis on the Department of Health website, at:

  http://www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/index.htm

  Waiting lists are not an effective indicator of NHS performance. What matters to patients is how long they have to wait for treatment, not how many people are ahead of them. That is why we have set challenging national maximum waiting times targets in the clinical priorities of cancer and heart disease, as well as for all out-patient consultations and in-patient and day case treatment. By the end of this year no patient should wait longer than nine months for in-patient/day case treatment, falling to six months by the end of 2005. The NHS is making good progress towards achieving the nine month target.

NHS Waiting Lists

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34474 by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 March 2003, how often arrangements have been made by each NHS board for the funding of out-of-area treatment for patients and what plans it has to review these arrangements in order to meet waiting time guarantees.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards have standing financial arrangements with each other to cover the cost of treating their residents by other NHS boards, primarily through Service Level Agreements. Information is not collected centrally on these. The Executive has no present plans to review these arrangements.

NHS Waiting Lists

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were treated in each NHS board area from the true waiting list in each quarter since June 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of hospital discharges following admission from the true waiting list for in-patient or day case treatment in acute specialties, by NHS board area of residence, for each quarter from 30 June 1999 to 31 March 2002, is given in the following tables.

  Final figures for the quarters subsequent to 31 March 2002 are not yet available.

  NHSScotland: Discharges from Acute1 Specialties Following Admission from the True Waiting List, by NHS Board Area of Residence. Quarters Ended 30 June 1999 to 31 March 2002.

  


NHS Board 
  

Quarter Ended 
  



30 Jun 1999 
  

30 Sep 1999 
  

31 Dec 1999 
  

31 Mar 2000 
  

30 Jun 2000 
  

30 Sep 2000 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

8,760 
  

8,492 
  

8,635 
  

8,429 
  

8,712 
  

8,152 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

8,360 
  

8,479 
  

8,348 
  

7,697 
  

8,122 
  

8,555 
  



Borders 
  

2,574 
  

2,314 
  

2,339 
  

2,247 
  

2,368 
  

2,153 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

3,314 
  

3,618 
  

3,430 
  

3,837 
  

3,406 
  

3,392 
  



Fife 
  

8,867 
  

8,894 
  

8,391 
  

7,180 
  

8,490 
  

8,552 
  



Forth Valley 
  

5,617 
  

5,796 
  

5,421 
  

5,766 
  

6,097 
  

6,113 
  



Grampian 
  

11,351 
  

11,172 
  

11,021 
  

11,358 
  

11,182 
  

11,016 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

20,921 
  

20,346 
  

20,549 
  

20,346 
  

19,778 
  

18,862 
  



Highland 
  

4,708 
  

4,514 
  

4,492 
  

4,235 
  

4,581 
  

4,631 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

12,029 
  

11,229 
  

11,824 
  

11,788 
  

11,706 
  

10,605 
  



Lothian 
  

14,779 
  

15,260 
  

14,567 
  

14,915 
  

14,227 
  

13,787 
  



Orkney 
  

431 
  

418 
  

417 
  

367 
  

499 
  

533 
  



Shetland 
  

562 
  

575 
  

529 
  

524 
  

544 
  

579 
  



Tayside 
  

10,760 
  

10,446 
  

9,939 
  

8,782 
  

9,182 
  

9,745 
  



Western Isles 
  

679 
  

652 
  

652 
  

628 
  

730 
  

678 
  



NHSScotland 
  

113,989 
  

112,468 
  

110,789 
  

108,310 
  

109,865 
  

107,582 
  



  


NHS Board 
  

Quarter Ended 
  



31 Dec 2000 
  

31 Mar 2001 
  

30 Jun 2001 
  

30 Sep 2001 
  

31 Dec 2001 
  

31 Mar 2002 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

8,495 
  

8,267 
  

8,071 
  

8,047 
  

8,086 
  

8,265 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

8,599 
  

8,777 
  

8,084 
  

7,515 
  

7,903 
  

9,116 
  



Borders 
  

2,359 
  

2,153 
  

2,211 
  

2,167 
  

2,328 
  

2,023 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

3,251 
  

3,586 
  

3,147 
  

2,976 
  

3,012 
  

2,874 
  



Fife 
  

8,724 
  

8,624 
  

8,052 
  

7,487 
  

7,744 
  

7,715 
  



Forth Valley 
  

6,054 
  

6,085 
  

6,254 
  

6,331 
  

6,298 
  

6,328 
  



Grampian 
  

10,825 
  

11,181 
  

10,869 
  

10,776 
  

10,385 
  

9,927 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

19,564 
  

20,240 
  

17,776 
  

17,972 
  

18,525 
  

19,250 
  



Highland 
  

4,184 
  

4,221 
  

4,311 
  

4,287 
  

4,279 
  

4,412 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

12,003 
  

10,839 
  

10,345 
  

10,293 
  

11,145 
  

12,138 
  



Lothian 
  

13,583 
  

13,449 
  

12,415 
  

11,811 
  

11,925 
  

11,532 
  



Orkney 
  

472 
  

442 
  

506 
  

455 
  

422 
  

479 
  



Shetland 
  

461 
  

515 
  

614 
  

542 
  

529 
  

550 
  



Tayside 
  

10,003 
  

9,623 
  

7,702 
  

7,345 
  

7,423 
  

7,918 
  



Western Isles 
  

641 
  

692 
  

692 
  

668 
  

660 
  

746 
  



NHSScotland 
  

109,435 
  

108,918 
  

101,260 
  

98,929 
  

100,920 
  

103,548 
  



  Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.

  Note:

  1. The acute sector relates to those specialties primarily concerned in the surgical, medical and dental sectors. Specifically excluded are obstetric, psychiatric and long stay sectors.

NHS Waiting Lists

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new patients were added to the true waiting list in each NHS board area in each quarter since June 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on waiting lists is collected centrally by means of a quarterly census which records how many patients are waiting on the census date, but does not record information on additions to a waiting list between census dates.

  Figures for the true waiting list, by NHS board and NHS trust, for each census date since 30 June 1999 are available on the NHSScotland Acute Activity, Waiting Times and Waiting Lists website at

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/acute_activity/hb1.asp?month=May_2003.

NHS Waiting Lists

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new patients were added to the deferred waiting list in each NHS board area in each quarter since June 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on waiting lists is collected centrally by means of a quarterly census which records how many patients are waiting on the census date, but does not record information on additions to a waiting list between census dates.

  Figures for the deferred waiting list, by NHS board and NHS trust, for each census date since 30 June 1999 are available on the NHSScotland Acute Activity, Waiting Times and Waiting Lists website at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/acute_activity/hb1.asp?month=May_2003

  The deferred waiting list was abolished on 1 April 2003.

NHS Waiting Times

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the rise in the number of people experiencing waiting times of 26 weeks or more and 52 weeks or more in clinics in the Greater Glasgow NHS Board area over the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are determined to address rising out-patient waiting times which are a stubborn problem for a number of reasons, including implementation of the New Deal for Junior Doctors and the European Working Time Directive. The Executive has included a commitment in the White Paper, Partnership for Care , and the Partnership Agreement, Partnership for a Better Scotland , that no patient will wait longer than 26 weeks for a first out-patient appointment following GP referral, by 2005.

  The National Waiting Times Unit is currently discussing and agreeing plans and local out-patient waiting times targets with NHS Greater Glasgow which will demonstrate the progress they are expected to make towards delivery of the 26 weeks target.

  To help NHS Scotland achieve the 26 weeks target, I launched the Out-patient Action plan on 13 June 2003. The Centre for Change and Innovation will drive forward the implementation of this plan through a co-ordinated programme of service redesign and the promotion and dissemination of good practice across NHS Scotland.

NHS Waiting Times

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is to reduce NHS waiting times.

Malcolm Chisholm: Our strategy for ensuring that sustained reductions in waiting times are delivered for patients across Scotland was set out in Partnership for Care - Scotland's Health White Paper , which was published on 27 February 2003. We have made clear in our Partnership Agreement that reducing NHS waiting times is our key priority for the health service for the next four years.

  Challenging national maximum waiting times targets have been set for out-patient consultations and for hospital in-patient and day case treatment. In addition, specific maximum waiting targets have been set for the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and cancer, and for access to a member of a primary health care team. The targets in relation to waiting for in-patient and day case treatment have been guaranteed to patients: if boards are unable to provide treatment within the maximum waiting times themselves, they will be obliged to arrange treatment elsewhere – either within NHS Scotland or with other providers. Each NHS board has agreed local targets with the National Waiting Times Unit which demonstrate the progress they are expected to make towards delivery of the national targets and guarantees in 2003-04.

  Increased support is being provided to NHS boards and trusts to reduce waiting times, by my department, and in particular the National Waiting Times Unit and the Centre for Change and Innovation, by for example:

  - introducing a new, national programme of service improvement and redesign;

  - leading work on capacity planning;

  - ensuring the Golden Jubilee National Hospital supports NHS boards by contributing appropriately to reducing waiting times for out-patient, diagnostic, day case and in-patient services;

  - booking spare capacity in the private sector to reduce the longest waiting times, where such action complements NHS boards’ strategies for developing sustainable local solutions to tackle long waits, and

  - sharing examples of good practice across NHS Scotland.

Regeneration

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding assistance for the Peterhead economy following the downgrading of RAF Buchan and the decommissioning of fishing vessels based at Peterhead.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has been actively involved, along with Scottish Enterprise Grampian, the local authority and other local partners, in measures to support diversify and regenerate the Peterhead economy. These measures include the recent implementation of a local action plan which aims to focus collective resources on building sustainable communities throughout the Buchan area.

  There has been no specific discussions with Her Majesty’s Government.

Regeneration

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will implement its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared by all communities.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland recognised the importance of all communities and areas of Scotland both contributing to and benefiting from economic growth. To achieve this objective the Executive’s economic development policies embrace many different forms of intervention. These include the promotion of enterprise within areas of economic disadvantage, employment creation, the provision of advice and assistance to help people find work, and investment in the improvement of transport infrastructure.

  In addition, programmes such as Regional Selective Assistance play a key role in regional policy, in particular reducing regional disparities by encouraging investment and employment creation in the assisted areas.

Regeneration

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will introduce to meet its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to reduce the gap in unemployment rates between the worst 10% of areas and the Scottish average by 2006.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Enterprise Networks, working closely with other agencies, have a specific range of programmes aimed at assisting people into work. The networks are also committed to supporting the formation and growth of businesses which create new jobs and contribute to the reduction of overall unemployment.

  In addition, programmes such as Regional Selective Assistance play a key role in regional policy, in particular reducing regional disparities by encouraging investment and employment in the Assisted Areas.

  The Measuring Scotland’s Progress Towards a Smart, Successful Scotland report, published in March 2003, indicated that the gap in employment rates between the worst 10% of areas and the Scottish average continues to decline.

Regeneration

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will introduce to meet its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to regenerate those communities that suffer from persistently high levels of unemployment.

Mr Jim Wallace: As outlined in Building a Better Scotland , the Scottish Executive has set aside a total of £706 million for 2003-06 to regenerate our communities. A significant proportion of this funding will be allocated, through Communities Scotland, to local partnerships and will be targeted on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable areas throughout Scotland.

  In addition, the enterprise networks have a specific range of programmes aimed at assisting people into work. The networks are also committed to supporting the formation and growth of businesses which create new jobs and contribute to the reduction of overall unemployment.

Regeneration

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will focus its continued efforts, through Scottish Development International, to encourage inward investment on areas of persistently high unemployment, in line with its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: As outlined in the Global Connections Strategy, the Executive recognises the need to provide opportunity for all parts of Scotland. Scottish Development International is therefore charged with creating sustainable employment across a wide range of areas in sectors such as business and customer services at the same time as pursuing more specialist jobs in "knowledge intensive" functions such as research, design and development.

  Scottish Development International provides client companies with a range of location options that meet their needs. However, the location at which an investment is made is ultimately a decision to be made by the company concerned and attempts to persuade companies to locate in specific areas could prove counter-productive.

Regeneration

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether regenerating and making full use of the lower Clyde forms part of its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to realise the potential of Glasgow.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Cities Review clearly recognises the important role that cities have to play in the economic and social regeneration of their surrounding regions. As the Glasgow economy develops so the benefits will be felt in the wider city region, including areas such as Inverclyde. Meanwhile, Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire will continue to work with local partners on initiatives around the lower Clyde such as the redevelopment of the A8 corridor and the further regeneration of Greenock Waterfront.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the minutes of any meetings of its Cabinet at which the relocation of the Scottish Natural Heritage headquarters was discussed and any Cabinet memoranda and papers that explain the reasoning behind the decision to relocate the headquarters to Inverness.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-919 on 1 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Student Finance

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the eligibility criteria for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: The eligibility criteria for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland , are being reviewed as part of the Review of Funding for Learners. An announcement on changes to the eligibility criteria will be made in due course.

  The review, which is being undertaken in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, will support the delivery of the Executive’s Lifelong Learning Strategy - Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life. Further details on the review are available on:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ELLD/FoL/00017431/page677853067.aspx.

Student Finance

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will increase the family income ceiling for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Mr Jim Wallace: The family income ceiling for student bursaries, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland , is being reviewed as part of the Review of Funding for Learners. An announcement on any increase in the ceiling will be made in due course.

  The review, which is being undertaken in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, will support the delivery of the Executive’s Lifelong Learning Strategy - Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life. Further details on the review are available on:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ELLD/FoL/00017431/page677853067.aspx.